Vehicle and control method thereof

• US 9,679,477 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2014
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, Eunhyung, Kim, Jongho, Lee, Doyoung, Kim, Jihwan, Chun, Sinae
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Uhl, Lindsay
• Application Number:
  US14/329,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20150325120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/50 characterised by the display information being shared, e.g. external display, data transfer to other traffic participants or centralised traffic controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

Disclosed is a vehicle, which senses a speed of the vehicle using a speed sensor unit and also senses a vehicle-to-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a first vehicle immediately ahead of the vehicle using a distance sensor unit and then determines a state of the vehicle based on the speed of the vehicle and the vehicle-to-vehicle distance. In this case, when the vehicle is in a first state, the vehicle displays a first image captured by a first camera unit on a first display unit. In addition, when the vehicle is in a second state, the vehicle displays a second image captured by a second camera unit on the first display unit. Here, the second camera unit is a camera unit stalled in a second vehicle, and the second vehicle being any one of one or more vehicles ahead of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle configured to share a captured image with another vehicle, the vehicle comprising:

a first camera configured to capture the image;

a first display;

a speed sensor configured to sense a speed of the vehicle;

a distance sensor configured to sense a vehicle-to-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a first vehicle immediately ahead of the vehicle;

a transceiver configured to implement data communication between the vehicle and the first vehicle; and

a processor configured to control the first camera, the first display, the distance sensor, the speed sensor and the transceiver,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

determine a state of the vehicle based on the speed of the vehicle and the vehicle-to-vehicle distance,

display a first image captured by the first camera on the first display when the vehicle is in a first state, wherein the first state is a state in which the speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a first speed and less than a second speed, and the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is equal to or greater than a first distance and less than a second distance,

display a second image captured by a second camera on the first display when the vehicle is in a second state, wherein the second state is a state in which the speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the second speed, and the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is equal to or greater than the second distance, and

display the first image on the first display and the second image on the second display when the vehicle-to-vehicle-distance is repeatedly increased and reduced within a predetermined time on the first distance or the second distance,

wherein the second camera unit is a camera installed in a second vehicle, the second vehicle being any one of one or more vehicles ahead of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to display the second image and traffic information on the first display when the vehicle is in a third state,

wherein the third state is a state in which the speed of the vehicle is less than the first speed, and the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is less than the first distance.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle, the first vehicle and the second vehicle travel in the same direction.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the second vehicle is a vehicle securing a front field of view among one or more vehicles ahead of the first vehicle.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the second vehicle and the first vehicle are same vehicles.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first camera is further configured to capture the first image in front of the vehicle, and

wherein the second camera is further configured to capture the second image in front of the second vehicle.

7. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising a third camera configured to capture a third image at the rear of the vehicle,

wherein the processor is further configured to display the third image when the vehicle is in the third state.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to display an image of the second vehicle when the second image is displayed.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the second vehicle is not the same as the first vehicle, display a composition image of the first vehicle and the second vehicle when the second image is displayed.

10. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the traffic information includes at least one of traffic signal information, traffic situation information on a per road section basis and traffic accident information.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is equal to or greater than the first distance, display the first image on the first display when the speed of the vehicle is less than the first speed.

12. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is equal to or greater than the second distance or less than the first distance, display the second image on the first display when the speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the first speed and less than the second speed.

13. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is less than the second distance, display the first image and distance information regarding the vehicle-to-vehicle distance on the first display when the speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the second speed.

14. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to deactivate the first display when the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is equal to or greater than a third distance.

15. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is kept for a predetermined time within a given range from the first distance or the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is kept for a predetermined time within a given range from the second distance, activate the second display and display the first image on the first display and the second image on the second display unit display when the speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the first speed or less than the second speed.

16. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if the speed of the vehicle is kept for a predetermined time within a given range from the first speed or the speed of the vehicle is kept for a predetermined time within a given range from the second speed, activate the second display and display the first image on the first display and the second image on the second display.

17. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an acceleration sensor configured to sense acceleration of the vehicle,

wherein the processor is further configured to change from the second image to the first image when the acceleration of the vehicle is detected as negative acceleration in the second state,

wherein the negative acceleration is equal to or greater than a threshold.

18. A control method of a vehicle, the vehicle being configured to share a captured image with another vehicle, the control method comprising:

sensing a speed of the vehicle using a speed sensor;

sensing a vehicle-to-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a first vehicle immediately ahead of the vehicle using a distance sensor;

determining a state of the vehicle based on the speed of the vehicle and the vehicle-to-vehicle distance;

displaying a first image captured by a first camera on a first display when the vehicle is in a first state, wherein the first state is a state in which the speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a first speed and less than a second speed, and the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is equal to or greater than a first distance and less than a second distance; and

displaying a second image captured by a second camera on the first display when the vehicle is in a second state, wherein the second state is a state in which the speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a second speed and the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is equal to or greater than the second distance; and

displaying the first image on the first display and the second image on the second display when the vehicle-to-vehicle-distance is repeatedly increased and reduced within a predetermined time on the first distance or the second distance,

wherein the second camera is a camera installed in a second vehicle, and the second vehicle being any one of one or more vehicles ahead of the vehicle.

19. The control method according to claim 18, further comprising displaying the second image and traffic information on the first display when the vehicle is in a third state,

wherein the third state is a state in which the speed of the vehicle is less than the first speed and the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is less than the first distance.